Lionel Messi continued his red-hot form as he produced a record-breaking performance in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference semi-final as Inter Miami thrashed Cincinnati FC at the TQL Stadium on Sunday (November 23) with a 4-0 margin, with the Argentine football legend being the star of the show.
Messi opened the scoring in the 19th minute as Miami went into half-time with a 1-0 lead. Later, he assisted three goals in the second half as Mateo Silvetti scored in the 57th minute, while Tadeo Allende netted a brace with goals in the 62nd and 74th minutes.
Messi has led Miami to the final of the Eastern Conference, where they will play New York City FC
Lionel Messi Beat Cristiano Ronaldo
Messi completed a remarkable tally of 1300 goal contributions in his football career through the course of his near-perfect performance. The Argentine football legend has scored 896 goals in his career, while also having 404 assists to his name.
In his career, Messi contributed 941 goals for Barcelona and 117 for Argentina. He had a tally of 66 goals and assists for Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) while having 117 so far for Miami.
Among the recorded data in official matches, Messi is the first to reach the milestone in football history. The 38-year-old has beaten Cristiano Ronaldo to the milestone, with the two modern-day legends being the only players known to have over 1000 goal contributions in their careers.
Most Goal Contributions In Football History
| Player | Matches Played | Goal Contributions | Goals | Assists | Goal Contributions per Minute |
| Lionel Messi | 1135 | 1300 | 896 | 404 | 104 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 1298 | 1213 | 954 | 259 | 111 |
Lionel Messi Breaks 25-Year-Old Record
Messi now has the most goal contributions in a single season of the MLS playoffs. The Argentine has contributed to 12 goals in the ongoing season in the knockout stages, with six goals and assists each. He is the first player in history to have over 10 goals and broke a record that was held by Ante Razov since 200.
Most Goal Contributions in MLS Playoff Single Season
| Player | Goal Contributions | Year |
| Lionel Messi | 12 | 2025 |
| Ante Razov | 10 | 2000 |
| Carlos Ruiz | 10 | 2002 |
| Jozy Altidore | 9 | 2016 |
| Hristo Stoichkov | 9 | 2000 |
Messi further extended his record as the player with the most goal contributions in an MLS season (regular season + playoffs). The Miami captain has contributed to 60 goals this season, having scored 35 and created 25. The previous record belonged to Carlos Vela, who had 51 contributions in 2019, having scored 36 and assisted 15.